The forest fire disaster is destroying an area of land and forests of about 1 million hectares in Australia, killing 3 people, injuring dozens of others, destroying about 300 houses and causing many unpredictable consequences. environment. Along with efforts to put out fires and protect people and property, many individuals and organizations in Australia are also trying to protect the koala, a rare native animal of Australia.
Located not far from the area where forest fires are taking place in the town of Taree in the state of New South Wales, the house of couple Paul and Christeen McLeod these days has become a safe haven for 24 koalas, a species of koala. Australia’s rare native animals.
Mr. Paul McLeod said that he and his wife brought the endangered koalas home to take care of them during this difficult period: “When we passed by, we saw the koala up high on a branch, we had to Go get a truck and ladder so we can get the koala down.”
As people with a lot of experience in caring for koalas, Mrs. McLeod and her husband know that the current harsh weather conditions and forest fires are making the lives of koala bears, which are already facing the risk of extinction, worse. becomes even more difficult.
Therefore, Mrs. Christeen McLeod did not hesitate to turn her entire living room into a field hospital for koalas: “Koalas are being severely affected by forest fires. All of their hooves have been burned. Both their noses and The cheeks are the same. What we do is clean and soothe these burns. We also have to treat the peeled skin and the ears. We need to clean these areas.
Not only Mr. McLeod’s family, the hospitals of New South Wales and Queensland in recent days have been busy receiving animals affected by forest fires, including many koalas.
In recent days, 150 volunteers from the Koala Hospital in Port Macquarie, New South Wales have continuously searched the Lake Innes Nature Reserve to rescue a herd of rare and genetically diverse koalas. transmit up to 600 children.
Ms. Sue Ashton, director of the hospital, said that the hospital is holding 43 koalas, including 16 newly rescued from the fire area. Rescued koalas will receive a three-day medical examination, but those with burns may need up to six months to fully recover. Although staff and volunteers have worked tirelessly in recent days, Ms Ashton is still concerned that the bushfire may have killed 350 koalas in the area.
Meanwhile, Queensland’s Currumbin Wildlife Hospital is also very busy, receiving about 54 new animal “patients” every day, including many koala bears, direct victims of the fires. Fires are wreaking havoc across Southeast Queensland.
Veterinarian Michael Pyne of this hospital is concerned that forest fires will not only affect the number of koalas living here but will also seriously narrow the living area and food source of rare animals. This.
“Sadly, many koalas did not escape the fires. But the more important problem is that they lost their habitat. There are still koalas living out there but there is very little food left. Drought and the heat has caused a lot of problems and now the addition of forest fires has seriously affected the koala’s habitat. Currently their habitat is shrinking and this will be the biggest challenge for the koala koala survival in the next 6 to 12 months.
According to Australian statistics, this country currently has about 50,000-100,000 koalas. However, with the current rate of climate change, koala bears in Australia may become extinct in the wild by the middle of this century.
